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A home in the bed of your truck: Four Wheel Campers
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 9:22AM ;)
FWC has been an OX sponsor since the beginning.
Over the years, we have been through a lot of vehicle-based camping setups, beginning with a couple of sleeping bags rolled out on the roof rack of my FJ40. We’ve gone minimalist with backpacking tents and stoves, luxurious with family-sized cabin tents and padded cots. We’ve tried roof tents, trailers, truck-bed mattresses. For some time we owned a WilderNest, a pickup shell with a cunning roof that flipped sideways to turn into a bed, with an enormous tent erected semi-automatically above it. I remember spending a mostly sleepless night trying to brace the frame of that spinnaker-like tent in a 40mph Sea of Cortez Norte. It was never quite the same afterward. Of all the setups that have come and gone, the one about which we wax most nostalgic is our Four Wheel Camper. Mounted first on a 1990 4WD Toyota pickup powered by a willing but overmatched 22RE four-cylinder, then on a 2000 4WD Tacoma with the 3.4-liter six (60 percent more power and better gas mileage), we put over 150,000 miles on that camper, using it as a mobile base for dozens of freelance magazine assignments and several books.
At the time, we lived on a wildlife refuge seven miles down a rough dirt road, so even driving to town for groceries gave the rig a workout. Nevertheless, the sum total of my repairs to that camper was a rebuild of the door, which had begun to sag and needed reinforcing.
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Our FWC in the 1990s, Punta Chueca, Sonora, Mexico, visiting Seri Indian country.We loved the FWC’s 30-second transformation into a full-standing-headroom camper with queen-sized bed, fridge, sink, and stove, and a comfortable settee. Sit-down snack at a rest stop on a highway trip? Easy. A couple of years into ownership, we experienced another Sea of Cortez Norte more furious than the first—and slept like babes. The pop-up roof didn’t even quiver. Despite the comfort and strength, the camper’s relatively feathery, aluminum-framed 700 pounds barely taxed the truck, and never kept us from reaching secluded backcountry hideouts.
Gripes? Sure, we had a few. The water tank was too small and mounted too high. The main cabinet doors were flimsy sliding panels of 1/8th-inch plywood. And the three-way fridge gave up even slightly cooling its contents in any ambients over 90ºF. But they were tiny gripes compared to the consummate ease of pulling into a camp spot and having a home ready in less than a minute.
I write this up front so you don’t think what follows is some slavish encomium concocted in trade for sponsorship or ad revenue: We developed our enthusiasm for Four Wheel Campers the old-fashioned way—at full retail. So we jumped at the chance to make a second pilgrimage to the factory in Woodland, California, to visit with owners Tom and Celeste Hanagan, who’ve become good friends over the years. (Alas, this time we weren’t there to pick up a new camper.)
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New factory floor in Woodland, CA. Older models belonging to customers, in for modifications or repairs after accidents, are in the lower right.Actually, it’s a different factory, significantly larger than the old one. A good thing, it seemed, because the space was clearly being utilized to the fullest already. A triple row of campers, aligned as if by laser, stood waiting for successive construction steps, from welding of the bare, elegant aluminum frame to final touches in flooring and lighting. There’s now more room for the ancillary shops such as upholstery and carpentry, which were formerly wedged into corners.
Most interestingly, I got an inside look—literally—at the evolution of the Four Wheel Camper under Tom and Celeste’s guidance. The small, high-mounted water tank I mentioned on ours? It’s been nearly doubled in size (now 22 gallons) and moved to the floor under a settee at the front of the camper, perfect for weight distribution. The cabinets now have proper hinged doors. The fridge option now includes a compressor-driven unit guaranteed not to go on strike in summer. And the corners of the main entrance door have been radiused to add significant rigidity.
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The amazing aluminum frame, a work of art.There was more. The roof—which on ours comprised three sections, yet never leaked despite the fact that I through-drilled it to mount racks for our sea kayaks—is now a one-piece, screw-free aluminum sheet that can’t leak. Much of the interior plywood is now superb multi-laminate European birch; exterior insulation is now rigid foam rather than fiberglass. Appliances have been upgraded, headroom augmented without changing the travel profile, the dining table is now a portable unit that can be used outside—nothing seemed to have escaped scrutiny and improvement.
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Tom and Roseann looking at an interior under construction.A lot of those improvement can even be applied to older Four Wheel Campers. In a corner of the factory was a cluster of customer-owned campers in various stages of repair and renewal. One vintage model at least 20 years old was receiving a new one-piece roof; others were having skins, water tanks, upholstery, or appliances replaced and updated. It was a reminder that a Four Wheel Camper is a genuine investment—as if prices on the used market weren’t reminder enough. We sold ours (to pay off our land) for 85 percent of what we paid for it new, despite all the use and mileage.
Ack. I just reminded myself that we sold it. Take my advice: If you buy one, keep it. Who needs land if you have a home on wheels?
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Tom and Celeste Hanagan, the power duo behind the quality and success of Four Wheel Campers.
Reader Comments (14)
I enjoyed this article on the Four Wheel Camper. I have been researching PU Campers for about 2 years now and have narrowed the list down to just a handful. The top contenders are Four Wheel and Alaskan. I'm not real sold on the soft-sided nature of Four Wheel. I am concerned about the lions, tigers, and bears, and other (two-legged) varmints that might want to intrude on my sleeping quarters. I am particularly attracted to the strong aluminum-framed construction of Four Wheel Campers and several others I have come across. I understand the Four Wheel Camper folks are working on a hard-sided (non-telescoping) version of their camper. It would be helpful if you folks would do a review of that product when it is ready for marketing. I am also curious if they have considered a telescoping hard-sided version of their aluminum-framed camper.
I really enjoy reading what you guys put together because you seem to be willing to call a spade a spade, and wouldn't endorse something just for the advertising bucks. Keep the good stuff coming and the oily side down. Ron
Did you run a stock suspension set up using the FWC on the Tacoma?
Stock Suspension in the Tacoma is not enough to support an FWC unless you want the rear to sag like no tomorrow. Upgrading to heavy duty leaf packs or adding air bags to the stock leaf packs is pretty much the only way to get a nice level ride. And if you have lifted suspension, oversized wheels and tires, etc you will also have to upgrade gearing to make up for loss of power, even without the camper. I have an Eagle on a new style Tacoma w/ V6 and 35" MT tires. I can't imagine what my rig would be like going up hills without going to 488 gearing, again even without the camper. Only way to go IMO.
Randall, our 2000 Tacoma had the TRD package, with Bilstein shocks that were valved quite softly. We installed OME shocks and Air Lift air bags on the stock rear springs, and that was all that was needed to level the truck and restore proper ride and handling.
We stayed with the stock 31-inch-tall tires, and thus had no need to re-gear.
Ron: I love those Alaskan campers! But they are HEAVY beasts. The soft sides of the Four Wheel camper are high enough and narrow enough that most animals would have a tough time gaining entry, even should they wish to. And a bear that really wanted in could open an Alaskan like a tin can anyway . . .
I'd consider an Alaskan if I had a full-size 3/4-ton diesel pickup, and planned to do a lot of traveling in cold weather, where the extra insulation would be a benefit.
Thank you Jonathan for the information. Not a fan of airbags so will look at other solutions but knowing something additional is required is good information. I will probably stick w/ stock size wheels/tires.
Randall,
High-quality air bags are a good solution if you plan to take the camper on and off, and need the ability to adjust your spring rate. We have them on our FJ60, which has a 40-gallon fuel tank and a 15-gallon water tank in back, so the load can vary by hundreds of pounds.
If the camper will be a permanent fixture, custom springs are the way to go, and aren't all that expensive. I really, REALLY do not like add-a-leaf systems. I've had two fail personally and know of numerous other failures. The simple fact is, an add-a-leaf is unlikely to be properly matched to the existing spring set, and concentrates stress in a single area rather than spreading it.
In addition to my comment above I want to note that my 2005 Tacoma TRD has a 6 inch suspension lift to accommodate my 35" MT tires.
I second the comment about add-a-leaf kits being garbage. I use coil-overs up front and lifted heavy duty leaf packs with medium sized blocks in the rear. To top it off I use procomp MX-6 adjustable shocks all around and the ride is a thousand times better than it ever was stock. The rear end sits a little higher than the front without a load and level with a load such as my camper - I really don't like it when trucks sag in the rear, especially how exaggerated it looks on a lifted vehicle.
When I upgraded to the new leaf packs I couldn't believe the difference in performance not to mention just how under-built the OEM parts are once I got a look at them, at least compared to what most of us really want to see. I've also owned my truck for 6 years not 6 months and took me a while to figure all of this out and get it exactly the way I want.
The one thing I'll throw out there is that the Tacoma is known for a slight sag on the drivers side due to steering column, gas tank, driver, etc weight on that side of the vehicle compared to the passenger side. My driver side front coil-over is actually 3/4" taller than the passenger side to make up for this up front. However, you may notice that the rear driver side settles lower than the rear passenger side when carrying a load for an extended period of time- even with bad ass replacement springs. Unloaded it probably won't be noticeable but loaded, especially if you leave your camper on your truck for months at a time like I do, you may see it settle out as much as a couple inches lower on the drivers than passenger.
I'm actually going through that issue right now and am considering something like the Firestone double convoluted airbags in addition to the current springs. That way I can air-up the driver side slightly higher PSI than the passenger side to accommodate the settling when the camper is on the truck for the entire summer. The one issue that has not been fully considered is the offroad performance of airbags, both aired-up and down. My camper setup is all about off roading - not rock crawling or mud bogging but true 4x4 overland travel - and if the airbags will negatively impact that I may have to consider something else.
To be honest, a fully loaded Eagle or Fleet camper, all your gear and food for at least a week, and additional weight in vehicle modifications brings a mid sized truck close to is carrying capacity and therefore you should expect to deal with a bump or two to get it all just the way you like; especially if you get into offroading/aftermarket the way I have. Everything I've written is based 100% off years of first hand experience and hope it helps.
I'm looking at a 2012 Tacoma TRD Sport package with Bilstein shocks (I prefer the around-town/highway ride to that of the TRD off-road package) to carry a Hawk FWC. I will be doing rough 4 x 4 roads, not rock climbing or overlanding. Is there anything that I can have Toyota add to the truck's suspension, etc., while purchasing? or are the extras added by other shops?
Tess, I don't think there's anything a Toyota dealer would be willing to add that would help you, but there's no harm in asking. At a minimum you'll want air bags to control the rear sag that will occur if you install a Four Wheel Camper on a Tacoma with any suspension package. I suspect you'll want heavier-duty rear shocks as well, but you could try the combination first and see how it feels. I believe the Bilsteins on both the Sport and Off-Road packages are valved the same; the difference is in the spring rates and the wheel size.
Any competent mechanic can install the air bag kit; it's quite simple. You'll need to decide if you want the air-fill lines routed into one valve, or left separate. I prefer them separate so I can fine-tune side-to-side balance. Make sure they're accessible but not vulnerable. I recently ripped one out of the back bumper of a Land Cruiser on a deep ditch crossing.
I read all the posts here and applaud the great conversation you all have going. I have 10+ years offroading experience with vehicles carrying FWC to Land Rovers not carrying anything like a camper. Please feel free to contact me for advice setting up an offroad rig as I've been there and done that. My current vehicle is also a new style Tacoma and can lend a lot of advice on getting the truck/camper combo looking and performing the way you want. I love offroading and I love Four Wheel Campers!
Happy Camping
rockymountainfwc@gmail.com
Denver FWC Dealer
Very interesting site and articles. Really thankful for sharing.Will surely recommend this site to some friends! Regards,
If you do a lot of offloading-do NOT install airbags! I cannot stress that enough. I've been all over the map talking w different mechanics, mfg like Firestone, overland folks that learned the hard way, and offroad shops - and every single one will tell you the possibility of damaging mounting brackets, tearing airbags, etc when offloading is a real consideration to make. The articulation of the real axle is also negatively impacted. In addition, the airbags ability to stretch/crush-depending on what wheel is up and which one is down-will almost always cause damage-even Firestone said it was a bad idea FYI. Bc I like to explore w camper offroad I will prob bump up to an even stiffer leaf pack in the rear.
Depends on what you mean by "off-roading." Certainly if you're into 4+ trails every weekend, I'd recommend a different solution - but then if you're into such things you probably won't be carrying a Four Wheel Camper. Properly installed airbags, with properly installed mounts, are more than capable of accommodating the travel in a stock or near-stock (say, two inches of lift or less) suspension.
If I planned to leave a camper permanently on a truck, I'd prefer a custom-made spring assembly, yes. But for widely varying loads you really benefit from a variable spring rate. A spring set matched to the weight of even a relatively lightweight Four Wheel Camper would be absurdly, possibly dangerously, stiff with an empty bed. Washboard roads would be no fun.
Note that "properly installed" doesn't necessarily mean simply bolting on the air bag kit. On our FJ60, for example, we determined that the OME suspension would hyper-extend the bags, so we modified the mount to suit. Since then we've been in numerous cross-axle situations that resulted in two wheels off the ground, with no ill effects.
The good thing about an air bag system is that if it fails it rarely takes any other component with it - you're simply back to your stock suspension.
Great discussion and fits my dilema with my Tacoma. Planning a trip to Alaska 2012 to the end of the road in Purdhoe Bay. I am trying to decide on trailer vs. TC. Currently have a fibeglass Scamp trailer, but don't think it will do well on some of the roads through the Yukon--to low to the ground with exposed pipes and pumps. Have looked at FWC and the Alaska Camper. I believe the best bet is the FWC with mods to the truck, vs. buying a new truck for the heavier camper. Have a friend who has owns an Eagle/Tacoma for three years and uses it three months out of the year, she really likes it. I need the modifications and someone who can do the work. Planning on attending the 2012 Expo. looking for advice and those professional companies who can do the work. Any more thoughts on who can do the work? I live in PA, but can travel to get the work done.